Slot-guard for coin-controlled gas-meters.



No. 6a6,u-2 Patented Nov. 5, 1901'. w McDONALD &. A. E. WRIGHT. SLOTGUARD FOR COIN CONTROLLED GAS METERS.

(Application filed Feb. 13, 1901..)

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' N0. 686,:l2. Patented Nov. 5, I90l.

w. McDONALD & A. WRIGHT. SLOT GUARD FOR COIN CONTROLLED GAS METERS.

(Application filed Feb. 13, 1901.)

2 Sheets$het 2.

(No Model.

waii'zeasea NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM MCDONALD, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK, AND ALBERT E. XVRIGHT, OFPORTLAND, OREGON; SAID WRIGHT ASSIGNOR TO SAID MCDONALD.

SLOT- -GUARD FOR COIN-CONTROLLED GAS-METERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 686,1 12, datedNovember 5, 1901.

Application filed February 13, 1901. Serial No. 47,138. (No model.)

of Multnomah and State of Oregon, citizens of the United States, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Slot-Guards for Coin- ControlledGas-Meters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to slot-guards for coin-controlled gas-meters,and has for its object to provide an improved construction of mechanismoperatively connected to a slide for closing the coin-slot, whereby whenthe slide is moved to uncover the coin-slot the vending apparatus willbe automatically locked in position and cannot be operated until theslide has been moved to cover the slot again.

Other objects of the invention relate to details of construction and tocombinations of parts, all of which will be hereinafter described.

That which is regarded as new will be set forth in the claims. y

In order that the invention may be clearly understood, we haveillustrated the same in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 isa view in elevation of a meter provided with our improvements. Fig. 2 isa transverse vertical sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 isa View inrear elevation, showing the circular shield carrying the coin-carrier,the latter being adjacent to the stop. Fig. 4 is a similar view to Fig.3, but showing the coin-carrier turned to a position to allow the cointo fall therefrom. Fig. 5 is an edge view of the parts shown in Fig. 3.Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective detail View of the slotguard and themechanism connected therewith. Fig. 7 is a broken perspective view ofthe circular shield carrying the coincarrier, and Fig. 8 is a sectionalplan view of the parts shown in Fig. 3.

Our invention is designed to be applied to that form of coin-controlledapparatus forprepayment-meters described and illustrated in the patentto R. T. Glover and J. G. Glover, No. 539,734, dated May 21, 1895, towhich patent reference is to be made for a more complete .understandingof the invention. Our improvement, however, may be applied with orwithout modification and without departing from the spirit thereof toother forms of coincontrolled apparatus than that shown in said patentand to coin-controlled apparatus applied to vending devices other thangas-meters.

We will now describe our invention in detail, referring to theaccompanying drawings, wherein the numeral 1 indicates the casing of agas-meter, 2 the casing of the coin-controlled apparatus, and 3 a moneyholder or till, the parts 2 and 3 being attached to the side of themeter and the till being arranged immediately below the casing 2, all asshown.

The numeral 4 indicates the main operating-spindle, which may beconnected to any known device operated by the ordinary meter mechanismfor stopping the supply. of gas-for instance, such device as that shownand described in Letters Patent No. 535,330, dated March 5, 1895, andgranted to R. T. Glover and J. G. Glover aforesaid. The spindle 4projects from the meter-case 1 into the casing 2 and is operated bymeans of a circular gear-plate 5, mounted on said spindle and securedthereto by means of a pin 6 or other means. Said gear-plate has acircular series of teeth or projections 7 on the side facing the coveror price-changer 8, as in the first-named patent referred to.

Between the gear-plate 5 and the price changer 8 and immediately behindthe latter is a circular shield 9, to which is secured a coin carrier orpocket 10, into which a coin is passed through the slot 11 of theprice-changer to rest in one of the notches between the teeth plate andcoin-carrier 10 to move together when the handle .12 is turned. Saidhandle is screwed upon an outwardly-projecting, stem 13 of thecoin-carrier 10. The shield 9 serves to prevent the insertion of a cointhrough the coin-slot 11 so long as the coin-carrier 10 is out ofcoincidence with the coin-slot 11. The shield 9, carrying thecoin-carrier 10, is loosely mounted upon the extremity of the spindle 4,so that when no coin is inserted said shield and coin-carrier can beturned without turning or in any man ner affecting the gear-plate 5.

A suitable stop is provided to limit the movement of the coin-carrier,so that the coin carried thereby may fall through an opening 14: in thecasing 2 into the money-holder 3.

In order that the coin-carrier may be turned to have its pocket registeraccurately with the slot 11, we provide on the rear face of theprice-changer 8 a stop 15, against which the coin-carrier will strikeand be caused to reg- IO ister with said slot when it is desired toinsert a coin. The stop 15 has a base portion 16, secured to theprice-changer, as by rivets, and an upright portion or lug 17, which islocated a suitable distance inward from the 15 rear face of theprice-changer to bring it in proximity to the teeth 7, projecting fromthe gear-plate 5. Near the base of the lug 17 is provided a transverseelongated slot 18. Pivoted at its lower end to an inclined side 19 of 20the lug 17, as indicated at 20, is a dog 21, having a rectangularopening 22, alining with but narrower or shorter than the slot 18. Thedog 21 is in the form of a fiat metal plate of about the height of thelug 17 and having its rear or workingedge sharpened or beveled off, asindicated at 23, to facilitate the entrance of the blade between theteeth 7 of the gear-plate 5. The inclined side 19 of the lug 17 isradial to the spindle 4, and as the dog 0 21 lies flush against the side19 said dog will between them.

also be substantially radial to the spindle 4, which is the center ofthe gear-plate 5, and will therefore have the same inclination or pitchas said teeth, so that it may enter readily The opposite side 24 of thelug 17 is parallel with one edge of the slot 11 and in line therewithand serves as a guide for the coin inserted in the slot 11 and also as alateral support for the same until the coin-carrier is moved away.

The numeral 25 indicates a slide-plate for covering and uncovering theslot 11. This slide-plate is in the form of the letter T, the stem orvertical portion 26 of which constitutes the cover for said slot, whilethe horizontal portion or head 27 is provided on opposite sides of thestem 26 with elongated slots 28, extending into each of which is a pin29 for guiding the movement of the slideplate and limiting its movementin either direction. The pins 29 are riveted in the pricechanger andproject from its rear face, as shown. Extending inward from the bottomof the horizontal portion 27 of the slide-plate and from one end thereofis a lug 30, and

slot 18 and to work therein.

one side to uncover the slot 11 the dog 21 will be forced outward by theoperating-arm 31 and its beveled edge will pass into one or the other ofthe spaces between the teeth 7 of the gear-plate 5 and lock saidgear-plate against rotation so long as the slot 11 remains uncovered.Thus it will be impossible to fraudulently actuate the vending apparatusby inserting an implement through the slot 11. Upon moving theslide-plate to cover the slot 11 the dog 21 will be withdrawn by theoperating-arm 31 from engagement with the teeth of the gear-plate, andsaid gear-plate may then be rotated through the medium of the handle 12,provided a coin has previously been inserted, the coin operating bypassing between the teeth 7 to temporarily lock the coin-carrier andgear-plate together, as in the patented-device referred to. Theslide-plate is preferably made from a single sheet of metal stamped andbent, respectively, to have the construction and shape shown. Thisslide-plate is operated by means of a button 32, having a stud 33secured thereto and working in a slot 34, formed in the price-changerbelow the slot 11, said stud being'secured to the slide plate. The stud33 preferably passes th rough a plate 35, which extends from oppositesides of the button 32 and is slid back and forth on the face of theprice-changer in the movements of the button 32 and open ates to coverat all times the slot 34. The plate 35 might be made integral with thebutton 32, if desired.

It will thus be seen that our-invention provides a simple and economicalmeans for looking the vending apparatus when the coin-slot is open oruncovered. Furthermore, the button 32 can be moved to operate theslide-plate without reference to the position of the coincarrier, andhence no part of the apparatus can be injured by opening or closing theslot at any position of the coin-carrier, as might be the case if itwere necessary that the pocket of the coin-carrier should first registerwith the slot 11 before the slide-plate could be moved. Finally thebutton 32, with its plate 35, are not liable to be wrenched or brokenoff or bent or otherwise injured, as they project only a slight distancefrom the face of the price-changer, and this relative position is neverchanged, as would be the case were a pivoted door employed for closingthe slot or device which would require to be moved outward or away fromthe appara* tus to uncover the slot.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new is-- 1.In coin-controlled apparatus, in combination with the vending apparatus,a casing having a coin-slot, a slide forcovering and uncovering saidslot, and separate mechanism operated by said slide to lock said vendingapparatus when the slot is uncovered and to release it when the slot iscovered.

2. In coin-controlled apparatus, in combination with the vendingapparatus, a casing having a coin-slot, a slide for covering anduncovering said slot, and pivoted mechanism operated by said slide tolock said vending apparatus when the slot is uncovered and to release itwhen the slot is covered.

3. In coin-controlled apparatus, in combination with the vendingapparatus, a casing having a coin-slot, a slide for covering anduncovering said slot, and a pivoted dog adapted to be moved back andforth by said slide to lock said vending apparatus when the slot isuncovered and to release it when the slot is covered.

4:. In coin-controlled apparatus, in combination with the vendingapparatus, a casing having a coin-slot, a slide for covering anduncovering said slot and mechanism adapted to be moved by said slide ina direction at right angles thereto to lock said vending apparatus whenthe slot is uncovered and to release it when the slot is covered.

5. In coin-controlled apparatus, in combination with the vendingapparatus including a toothed wheel, a casing having a coin-slot, aslide for covering and uncovering said slot and mechanism operated bysaid slide to engage the teeth of said wheel when the slot is uncoveredand to be withdrawn from engagement with said teeth when the slot iscovered.

6. In coin-controlled apparatus, in combination with the vendingapparatus, a casing having a coin-slot, a support on said casing,

a dog pivotally mounted on said support and having an opening, a slidefor covering and uncovering said slot and an arm carried by said slideand working in said opening and operating tomove said dog intoengagement with the vending apparatus when the slot is uncovered and towithdraw said dog when the slot is covered.

7. In coin-controlled apparatus, in combination with the vendingapparatus, a casing having a coin-slot, a support on said casing, a dogpivotally mounted on said support and having an opening, a slide forcovering and uncovering said slot and an inclined arm carried by saidslide and working in said opening and operating to move said dog intoengagement with the vending apparatus when the slot is uncovered, and towithdraw said dog from such engagement when the slot is covered.

8. In coin-controlled apparatus, in combination with the vendingapparatus having a toothed wheel, a casing having a coin-slot, a supporton said casing, a dog pivotally mounted on said support radial to thecenter of said wheel and having an opening, a slide for covering anduncovering said slot and an inclined arm carried by said slide andworking in said opening and operating to move said dog into engagementwith the teeth of said wheel when the slot is uncovered and to withdrawthe dog from such engagement when the slot is covered.

, In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM MCDONALD.

, ALBERT E. WRIGHT.

Witnesses to signature of Wm. McDonald:

DONALD MCDONALD, JOSEPH A. MURPHY.

Witnesses to signature of Albert E.Wright:

FRANK SCHLEGEL, GEORGE B. VAN WATERS.

